Improvement in mechanical musical instruments



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. J. MATTHEWS.

Mechanical Musical-Instrument.

No. 211,634. Patented Jan. 28,1879.

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M. J MATTHEWS.

Mechanical Musi0al-Instrument.

No. 211.634.. Patented Jan. 28, 1879 WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

N.PETEHS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. '(ASHXNGTCN. a C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MASON J. MATTHEVS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,634, dated January29, 1879; application filed I November 15, 1578.

To all whom a may concern:

Be it known that I, MASON J. MATTHEWS, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of musical instruments in which asheet of perforated paper or other thin flexible material is used tocontrol the passage of air through the reeds; and it consists, first, inthe combination, with a wind-chest, a reed-box provided with a series ofreeds, and a sheet of paper or other thin flexible material havingformed therein a series of perforations of different sizes, and arrangedin regular order to represent the various notes of a tune, and adaptedto be moved over the reeds and control the passage of wind through thesame, of a pair of thin arms secured one to each end of the wind chest,reed-box, or to both the reed-box and wind-chest, and projecting beyondthe front and rear edges of the wind-chest, and adapted to support insaid projecting ends a pair of paper-carryin g rolls, as will be furtherdescribed.

It further consists in the combination, with a wind-chestand areed-boxprovided with a series of reeds, of astrip or sheet of paper orother thin flexible material having formed therein a series ofperforations arranged in regular order to represent the various notes ofa tune, and also provided at each end thereof with a single perforationhaving set therein a metallic eyelet or other suitable re-enforcingdevice as a means of attaching said perforated strip or sheet to therolls or cylinders upon which it is to be wound.

it further consists in the combination, with a wind-chest, a reed-box, aseries of reeds, and a moving strip or sheet of perforated paper orother thin flexible material adapted to control the passage of windthrough the reeds, of a pair of rolls or cylinders, arranged one infront and the other in the rear of the wind-chest and reed-box, eachprovided with means for attaching one end of said strip or sheet ofperforated paper or other flexible material thereto, and each providedwith a crank, all so arranged that the strip of perforated paper may bealternately moved in opposite directions and wound upon either of saidrolls or cylinders, as and for the purposes to be hereinafter described.

It further consists of a paper-carrying roll or cvlinder having formedtherein near the middle of its length two longitudinal slits extendiu gthrough, or nearly through, the greatest diameter of said roll at rightangles, or nearly so, to each other, one of said slits being adapted toreceive the end of the strip of paper or other thin flexible material,and the other slit having pivoted therein a lever provided with a hookor pin adapted to enter the re-enforced opening in the end of saidpaper, and thus attach said paper to the roll.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan of an instrument adapted to besupplied with wind from the lungs of the operator and einbodyin myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section online 00 (F on Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a vertical section on line g y on Figs.1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section of one of thepaper-carrying rolls. Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of one end of thepaper strip, showing the reenforced opening for securing it to the roll,and Fig. 7 is a section of the same on line z e on Fig. 6.

A is the wind-chest, having secured upon its upper side the reed-boxB,havinglorinedtherein a series ofwindpassages, a (1, directly beneatheach of which is secured to the under side of the reed-box B areed-frame, I), each provided with a reed, c, tuned to a'differentpitch.

O is a pipe through which wind is supplied to the wind-chest from thelungs of the operator, and D is a handle by which the in strunient isheld in the left hand of the operator.

E E are two thin metal bars or plates secured one to each end of thewind-chest A and reed-box B, and each extending beyond the front andrear edges thereof, and having mounted in suitable bearings formedtherein the paper-carryin g rolls 0 cylinders F and F, as shown in Figs.1 and Each of the rolls F and F is provided with a crank, d, by which itmay be revolved, and also has formed therein, near the middle of itslength, twolongitudinal slits, c andf, extending end i of the lever G toraise it when it is desired to remove the strip of perforated pap'erfrom the instrument.

H is a strip or sheet of paper or other flexible material having formedtherein a series of perforations, j j, arranged in regular order torepresent the various notes of a tune, and of varying lengths, accordingto the length of tone'it is desired to produce. The extreme ends of thestrip or sheet of paper or other thin flexible material H are'redueed inwidth by cutting off the corners, as shown in Figs. 1

' and 6, and each of said ends has formed therein a single perforation,l, the material around said perforation being re-enforced orstrengthened by inserting therein 'a metallic eyelet, m, as shown inFigs. 6 and 7. The end of the strip of paper is inserted in the slit fin the roll F or F, when the lever Gr is in the position indicated indotted lines in Fig. 5, till the eyeleted hole Z is directly under theprojection y, when the lever G is pressed down into the position shownin full lines in Fig. 5, withthe pin 9' passing through the hole I. v Iis a pressure-bar, provided with a series of wind-passages, a,corresponding to'those in the reed-box B, and opening into thelongitudinal slit 0, and also provided at each end with a journal-pin,p, which has a bearing in the slot q, formed in the upper edge of thebar or plate E.

The paper 11 rests upon the upper surface of the reed-box B, and thepressure-barlrests upon the paper and is pressed with considerable forcedownward to hold the paper closely upon the reed-box by the tension ofthe springs r 1', which are attached to the inner sides of the bars orplates E E, and press at their movable ends upon the journal-pins p ofthe bar I.

J and J are spring-brakes hearing at their movable ends upon the rolls Fand F, respectively, to prevent the elasticity of the coil of paper,when Wound onto either of said rolls, from turning said roll backwardand partially unwinding the paper therefrom.

The operation of my improved instrument is as follows: The parts beinginthe positions shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, with the bulk of the paper Hwound upon the roll F, the operator takes the instrument by the handle Din his left hand, places the end of the pipe 0 in his mouth, and blowsinto said pipe, and at the same time turns the crank cl of the roll F,so as to draw the paper H off from the roll F and wind it onto the rollF, during which movement of the paper the perforations j j are eachbrought successively over a reed and wind is permitted to pass throughthe windpassages and cause the reed to vibrate, and

thus produce the desired tone. v

When the paper has all been wound onto the roll F, if it is desired torepeat the same tune, the paper is rewound onto the roll F withoutsupplying the wind-chest and reeds with wind, when the operation may bere-- peated.

If, however, it is desired to change the tune, the pressure-bar I isremoved, the end of the paper is detached from the roll F, and it isthen unwound and detached from the roll F.

Another strip is then connected at each end to one of the rolls F and Fand wound upon the roll F, when the pressure-bar I is again placed inposition, and the instrument is again ready for use.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

I 1. In combination with a wind chest, a

reed-box provided with a series of reeds, each tuned to a difl'erentpitch, and a strip or sheet of paper or other thin flexible materialhaving formed therein a series of perforations arranged to represent thevarious notes of a tune, the bars or plates E E, secured one to each endof the wind-chest, reed-box, or windchest and reed-box, and adapted tosupport a paper-carrying roll at either end thereof, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of the wind-chest A, reed-box B, provided with aseries of reeds, the bars or plates E E, rolls F and F, astrip or sheetof perforated paper,- H, connected at each end to one of said rolls, andthe springbrakes J and J, all arranged and adapted to operatesubstantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A strip or sheet of paper or other thin flexible material havingformed therein a series of perforations arranged in the proper order torepresent the various notes of a tune, and also having formed in eachend thereof a single perforation, the edge of which is reenforced orstrengthened, as set forth, as a means, in combination with a pin, ofsecuring said strip or sheet of flexible material to the feed orcarrying rolls, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the wind-chest A, reed-box B, provided with aseries of reeds, a strip or sheet of perforated paper or other flexiblematerial, H, and the'two rolls or cylinders F and F, each provided witha crank, d, and with means for readily attaching one end of said stripor sheet of paper or other flexible material thereto, all arranged andadapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The roll F or F, having formed therein the two longitudinal slits eand f, extending through, or nearly through, the same at right angles,or nearly so, to each other, and having pivoted in one of said slits thelever. Gr, provided with the angular projection g, substantially asdescribed. 7

6. The two rolls F and F, each provided with a crank, and having formedtherein the two longitudinal slits c and f, in one of which is pivotedthe lever-hook G g, in combination with a Wind-chest, suitable means ofsupplying wind thereto, a reed-box provided with a series of reeds, anda strip or sheet of paper or other thin flexible material having formedtherein a series of perforations, jj, and two re-enforced openings,l Z,all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for thepurposes described.

Executed atBoston, Massachusetts, this 12th day of November, A. D. 1878.

MASON J. MATTHEWS. Witnesses:

N. O. LOMBARD, E. A. HnmrnNWAY.

